IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Rutgers on Thursday, Dec. 31 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT).
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
- The game will be streamed live on BTN Plus. To see if your cable package gives you access to BTN Plus content, sign up for BTN Plus, or learn more about it, visit btnplus.com.
- Live stats are available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
AUDIO COVERAGE
- Rob Brooks will call the action on the Hawkeye Radio Network. A link to the broadcast is available on the women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
- Brooks is in his fifth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. He has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television.
FAN INFORMATION
- Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, there will be no men’s and women’s basketball general admission single game or season ticket sales to home games at this time.
- Visit hawkeyesports.com/fancutouts to purchase fan cutout(s) for all winter sports in Carver-Hawkeye Arena; 20 percent of the revenue will benefit UI Dance Marathon, with the remainder of the profits supporting the UI student-athletes’ scholarship fund.
- Programs, posters, and magnets will not be printed this season.
HOME IS WHERE THE TIGERHAWK IS
- Iowa has won 40 consecutive games on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a 15-0 mark last season.
- The last loss for the Hawkeyes at home was a 92-74 defeat against Nebraska on Jan. 28, 2018.
- The Hawkeyes went undefeated on their home court in the regular season for the first time since 2014-15 (18-0) during the 2018-19 season and continued the feat in 2019-20.
- Baylor is leading the country with 61-consecutive wins on their home court.
B1G IN THE RANKS
- Six Big Ten teams are ranked on the AP Poll, including No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 16 Michigan, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 20 Indiana, and No. 25 Michigan State. Iowa and Rutgers are each receiving six votes.
- The conference is represented by five schools on the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, including No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Ohio State, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 17 Michigan, and No. 18 Indiana. Michigan State (31), Iowa (14), and Rutgers (7) are receiving votes.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
- Rutgers is 5-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference play, winning its last three games and losing its only game to ranked Maryland, 87-91.
- Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year selection Arella Guirantes leads the Scarlet Knights, averaging 23.0 points pergame followed by freshman Diamond Johnson (17.5) and junior Zipporah Broughton (13.2).
- Guirantes leads Rutgers with 8.3 rebounds per game, followed by redshirt sophomore Tyia Singleton with 6.0 and senior Mael Gilles with 5.2.
- Four Scarlet Knights avaerage over two steals per game, including Guirantes (2.8), Broughton (2.7), Gilles (2.7), and freshman Liz Martino (2.2). As a team, Rutgers is leading the nation in steals per game, averaging 16.3, and ranks seventh in the country in total steals (98).
- As a team, Rutgers is leading the conference in total steals, steals per game, total blocked shots (36), and blocked shots per game (6.0).
THE SERIES
- Iowa leads the all-time series, 8-3.
- Last season, the two teams met once at Rutgers. The Hawkeyes fell in overtime, 74-78.
- Sophomore Gabbie Marshall recorded her career high six 3 pointers and shot 4-for-4 from the free-throw line to lead the Hawkeyes with 22 points.
- Junior Monika Czinano followed Marshall with 19 points, and sophomore McKenna Warnock pulled in seven rebounds.
HAWKS ON THE SEASON
- Iowa is 5-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference play with its only loss to Michigan State, 82-86.
- Freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes, averaging 27.0 points. Junior Monika Czinano and sophomore McKenna Warnock follow, averaging 20.5 and 13.8 points per game, respectively.
- Warnock leads the Hawkeyes in rebounds, averaging 8.8 per game, while Clark and Czinano follow with 7.2 and 5.2 per game, respectively.
- Sophomore Gabbie Marshall is leading Iowa with 16 steals and Clark follows with 14 steals on the season. Against Western Illinois (Dec. 22), Marshall recorded six steals — the most from a Hawkeye this season.
- Clark recorded her first collegiate triple-double against Western Illinois, tallying 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Clark is the first Hawkeye to reach the accomplishment since Sam Logic against Baylor (March 27, 2015) and marks the tenth triple-double in program history, which tied the second-most in the NCAA.
- Clark accomplished her first career double-double against in-state opponent, Drake, with 30 points and 13 assists. Sophomore McKenna Warnock recorded her third career double-double, tallying 14 points and 13 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa.
RANKING B1G INDIVIDUALS
- Caitlin Clark is leading the Big Ten in eight statistical categories, including total assists (42), assists per game (7.0), field goal attempts (122), field goals made (55), total points (162), points per game (27.0), 3-pointers attempted (55), and triple-doubles (1).
- Clark also ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made (19) and 3-pointers per game (3.17) as well as fourth in free throws made (33) and fifth in free-throw attempts (38).
- Clark is one of five Division I women’s basketball players to register a triple-double this season.
- Monika Czinano leads the conference in field-goal percentage (68.0), ranks second in field goals made (51), and ranks fifth in total points (123).
- Sophomore Gabbie Marshall ranks fourth in the conference in steals (16) and steals per game (2.67).
- Sophomore McKenna Warnock ranks fourth in rebounds per game (8.8).
YOU SERIOUS, CLARK?
- Caitlin Clark recorded her first collegiate triple-double against Western Illinois, tallying 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Clark is the first Hawkeye to reach the accomplishment since Sam Logic against Baylor (March 27, 2015) and marks the tenth triple-double in program history, which tied the second-most in the NCAA.
- Clark was the first Big Ten freshman to be named the ESPN National Player of the Week on Dec. 14.
- Clark is ranked fourth in the nation in points per game (27.0), seventh in assists per game (7.0), ranks eighth in total assists (42), ranks ninth in final points (162).
- In the conference, Clark is leading eight statistical categories, including total assists (42), assists per game (7.0), field goal attempts (122), field goals made (55), total points (162), points per game (27.0), 3-pointers attempted (55), and triple-doubles (1).
- Clark is the only freshman since 2015-16 to put up 30 points and have at least 10 assists in a single game. At Drake, Clark tallied 30 points and 13 assists.
- Clark’s 13 assists against Drake (Dec. 2) are the most from a Big Ten Freshman since Maryland’s Destiny Slocum had 13 against Illinois on February 9, 2017.
SHE’S KIND OF A B1G DEAL
- Freshman Caitlin Clark swept the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player and Freshman of the Week awards for the third time, the conference announced Dec. 28.
- Clark is the second Big Ten freshman to win both awards, three times, in a season. The first to accomplish the milestone was Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui during the 2013-14 season.
- Clark has earned at least one weekly honor in four-of-five weeks of the season, only missing week four due to Iowa’s only game being postponed due to COVID-19.
- The West Des Moines, Iowa, native registered her first career triple-double against Western Illinois on Dec. 22, tallying 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. She filled her stat line, adding three steals and a block in the matchup with the Leathernecks to win both awards for the third time.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
- Junior Monika Czinano earned preseason All-Big Ten recognition, the conference office announced Nov. 11.
- Czinano, a 2019-20 first team All-Big Ten selection (media), earns the first preseason honor of her career. The Watertown, Minnesota, native finished last season ranking second nationally in field-goal percentage (67.9), shooting 201-of-296 from the field.
- The sophomore averaged 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on the season. She scored in double figures during 25 contests, tabbing 10 20-point games — eight in conference play.
RECORD WATCH
- The Hawkeyes are six wins away from Iowa’s home win streak record (46).
- Head coach Lisa Bluder is 20 wins away from the 800-career win mark.
UP NEXT
Iowa heads to Champaign, Illinois, to take on Illinois inside State Farm Center on Sunday, Jan. 3. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. (CT) and the game will be streamed on BTN Plus.
